Cadence: Video Poetry Festival 2021

This Is How I Excavate

Expired April 26, 2021 6:59 AM
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14 films in package
Lineage is Not Linear
Lineage is Not Linear examines migration, displacement, and heritage through poetry and dance, highlighting the intimacies and fruits of a seemingly fractured existence.
return
"return" is a lyrical meditation on the Anthropocene that mingles the intimate and the eternal, the biological and the inanimate, the domestic with a sense of deep time, as it seeks to envision transcendence. The abstract drawings originate from Raluca Popa's ongoing preoccupation with Richard Tuttle's work.
Closed captions available
Sit Here (Noho Mai)
Symbolized in the bird’s flight, a group of Māori, Pākehā and Colombian creatives explore life’s journey, the longing to return to the nest, and the life-giving connection with our ancestors.
Closed captions available
Butterflies
This is dedicated to Black girls, in recognition of the violence they endure in public schools and in mass media.
This Fog
"This Fog" is a lyrical short film shot on the harbor islands of New Hampshire’s seacoast that attempts to capture our strange, lonely, sometimes beautiful pandemic lives.
bubblegum
A poem about youth, “bubblegum” combines imagery of summer with themes regarding coming of age and nostalgia.
The 90s
"The 90s" explores the American compulsion to reinvent ourselves and forget our own history.
Closed captions available
Why Do I Write?
"Why Do I Write?" explains Ijeoma "E&J" Eke's motivation to write poetry.
Comments from a Roadside Altar
A poetry film that chronicles the painful and joyous life of a soul that, like many others, met a violent end in one of America's troubled cities.
Novena
After a death in the family, the surviving members begin a traditional ritual as a form of honor and healing.
Melody of War
"Melody of War" is a short poetic film memorializing the Circassian Genocide.
Closed captions available
starshine
This poetic film explores the possibility of life on other planets, the conditions of which are revealed by the study of starlight.
Closed captions available
Ophelia
Through a monologue spoken backwards, the video deals with discriminatory depictions of women, past and present.
Crazy Black Woman
Relle the Poet, sick and tired of being sick and tired, bands together with the men, women, and children in her community to combat the “Crazy Black Woman” stereotype.
Closed captions available

** Co-presented with the Romanian Film Festival Seattle, curated by American Romanian Cultural Society **


How far down do we have to dig before we hit bedrock? What happens if, somewhere between the crust and core, we encounter ourselves? Sift through these video poems and you may unearth the crumbling foundations of a society, or the living artifacts of a familiar culture. This screening exhumes that which we’ve buried. Its title is extracted from Natachi Mez’s new video poem generated during her time as a Cadence artist-in-residence.

Why Do I Write? explains Ijeoma "E&J" Eke's motivation to write poetry. She writes for those who can't write or speak for themselves, among whom she counted herself not too long ago. Writing has allowed her self-expression, openness, and vulnerability. Therefore, she writes for those who have not yet found their voice, but most importantly, for herself.


This poem is a part of a weekly poetry series entitled “#SundaySips,” which serves to address personal issues in an effort to create a community and encourage open dialogue and expression.

  • Runtime
    2 minutes
  • Language
    English, with hardcoded English subtitles
  • Country
    United States
  • Note
    Poet: Ijeoma "E&J" Eke
  • Director
    Ijeoma "E&J" Eke, Ashley Nicole
  • Producer
    Ijeoma "E&J" Eke
  • Cast
    Ashley Nicole, Clarence Edward, Yolanda "Yoli" Kershaw, T.J., Aimee Carlisle, P.O., E&J
  • Cinematographer
    Kissmyspaz
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